Nids Question(s)

A simple one. (I may add other questions some other times)


Is it legal to field 2 Flyrants? I thought the wings upgrade in 1 per army?

It's legal, there's no where it says only per army. I believe Joe contemplated about such a list although I have thought about it too when they released a plastic one but a Flyrant and Swarmlord combo would be better IMO.

The part you're probably confused about is that you can't upgrade a tyrant with wings and also give it 2+ armour save and/or the template weapon upgrades, since it says "take one of the following".

Ok, thanks


Next: Can the nids psykers exchange only a few of their psychic powers in lieu of the ones from the BRB while retaining some from the codex.

E.g retaining Shadow In The Warp + taking Biomancy spell(s).

No, same goes for other codexes, you can check on the FAQs on GW's website or the quick reference chart that comes with the psychic discipline cards.

The rules say you can use psychic powers from the disciplines instead of the ones in the codex, for each power you purchased, generate from the diciplines.

On a side note, the same psychic power cannot be cast twice (unless you're Ahriman or some character that allows you to) on the same turn, just like 5th. [Found under Psykers - Manifesting Psychic Powers]

CikguDin wrote:

Ok, thanks


Next: Can the nids psykers exchange only a few of their psychic powers in lieu of the ones from the BRB while retaining some from the codex.

E.g retaining Shadow In The Warp + taking Biomancy spell(s).

Hey, nothing to add but just wanna clarify something here - it's a common mistake manifested from 4th ed.

Shadow in the Warp is NOT a psychic power. It used to be one, but now it's a passive ability so Nids will always have it.

Ooooohhh!!

Hail Hive Mind Zavulon!!


Q3: Can Swarmy with Tyrant Guards (a unit of MCs) be joined by a Warrior Prime (an IC)?

Q4: Can 2 Flyrants join together to form a unit of FMCs?

Q5: If a Flyrant managed to cast Iron Arm & gets +3S & +3T, when doing Vector Striking, will it be resolved at the Flyrant's original S6 or his new modified S9?

Q3 - You can because it's not a single model unit. A Tyrant/Swarmlord is not always a single model unit since it can be accompanied by Tyrant Guards. Hence, a Warrior Prime can join a unit of carnifexes too if it wanted.

Because of the way it is written, you can argue a Warrior Prime can join just the Tyrant or one Carnifex since they are not units that ALWAYS consist of one model. Then again, I might just be bending the rules.

Q4 - That's just asking whether two normal Tyrants can join each other, are they ICs? Not entirely, in the sense that they are only ICs towards Tyrant Guards and nothing else.

Q5 - You already answered to yourself by saying that S9 is a 'modified' value. Vector Strikes uses the 'unmodified' strength value.

Quote :

Q5 - You already answered to yourself by saying that S9 is a 'modified' value. Vector Strikes uses the 'unmodified' strength value.

Phew! For a moment there I thought my Night Scythe/Doom Scythe or even BA/GK Storm Ravens will be done-in by S7-S9 vector strike! Nasib baik!


So back to Q3, so if a WP joins a unit consisting of 1 Tyrant/Swarm Lord + 1 TG, & the Tyrant/SL manages to cast Iron Arm & gets +3S/+3T, thus there would be no majority T value anymore (Tyrant/SL = T9, TG = T6, WP = T5).

This would make enemy shooting towards them must resolve against T9 i.e the highest T value!! Madness!!

That's assuming you

1. Pass Psychic Tests.
2. Put only one Tyrant Guard which doesn't serve a good purpose as meatshield.
3. Rolling 5s/6s to get to Toughness 9.

Eldar Farseer makes Psykers useless since every army can take one.
Weapons that are going to be used to shoot at those units are still going to be from S8~S10.
Since they are walking, the unit has plenty of time to mow you down.

This one is more like a sage advice question rather than asking for rules clarification?

Which of the Nids' Heavy Support choices are best in the 6th Ed?

The way I see it, Biovores are quite good with S4 AP4 Large Blast Barrage & very cheap too (pt wise). On the other hand, most net-lists encourage the use of Trygons.

There are two problems with Biovore that I can immediately see

1. Toughness 4, susceptible to instant death.
2. It's a unit that serves to annoy people, because of it's BS3, you'll spawn spore mines more often than actually hitting.

Nevertheless it depends on what your whole army is like, if you already have units that serve the purpose etc, ripper swarms or just hordes of gaunts. The biovores are just occupying a slot for hard hitters.

What the Tyranid lack is the initiative to take action first considering almost all the units have shorter threat ranges than other people unless you strategise.

That said, carnifexes are still good, it's just a matter of having the bling to field lots of them and only the dakka kinds are competitive. 2 sets of twin-linked brain-leech devourers causes 12 shots of STR 6, imagine 6 carnifexes with that firepower. Additionally each has 4 wounds and all T6.

Trygons are bullet magnets, you don't deal with it, it'll cause hell, if you deal with it, every other Tyranid is coming for you.

Old one eye is the worst, Mawloc is fun a few times with it's gimmick, Tyrannofex looks awesome with his huge gun but expensive and with only BS3.

Then again, Tyranids is a rock paper scissors army,

1. Space Wolves will easily Jaws every MCs to death.
2. Grey Knights will burn every hordes to death, make your Tyranid psykers I1, instant death every MCs.
3. Armies with Eldar Farseer will screw Tyranid's 'psychic powers'.
4. Put flyers in and you hope your FMC survives to glance it before it wipes your army clean first.
5. Every other army with a lot of AP3 and below weapons.

Nevertheless, I'm a casual player, my Tyranid army consists point consuming units like the Swarmlord, Deathleaper and Doom of Malan'tai instead of tervigons or hive guards. So I lose like a crap load against most people.

Mmm, I miss my tyranids.

@Din, don't take biovores for your precious Heavy Support slot.

Biovores are anti-light infantry. Your ENTIRE army is already anti-light infantry. In fact, spawn some Gaunts near a Tervigon, get poison, shoot, charge and you will actually kill more than a biovore can ever hope to kill! (And Gaunts are free!)

Mawlocs and Old One Eye are a waste of points.

Trygons are everyone's favourites, most killy and effective. Although there's that one turn where you deep-strike and are extremely vulnerable.

Carnifexes must go in three's, either naked, or armed with two sets of t/l devourers. Very very deadly!

Personally I take the Tyrannofex. Why? Cuz it's the only long range anti-tank threat you can have in the Nids Codex.

Actually you should be looking at the Elites and Troops slots, those are the real killers.

Unlike most of you guys, I'm liking the odd stuffs in the codex, like the Deathleaper, the wacky Doom o' Malantai, Ymgarl Stealers, normal stealers with Broodlord, Swarm Lord (ok ok everybody loves Swarmy..)

If only Bio-plasma can be fired in addition to the other normal shooty weapons, then Carnies will be awesome!

Unsure who you're saying 'most of you guys' but I was like the only one using uncompetitive units, mostly. Here'smy list if you're interested, it's sort of a 'shock and awe' army which doesn't work all the time.

You can fire Bio-plasma with another weapon, the problem is the 12" range and BS3.

@Din - actually I hate Swarmlord. Too expensive and not that useful. I've shot the bugger up twice with Tau and killed him with a brood of Tyranid Warriors (lash whip rocks!)

I use the Doom. Don't wanna use Deathleaper.

Actually thx to the 6th ed biomancy powers, I'm looking at Zoanies again cuz now I'll swap both shooting powers for unit buffing ones

Or you can make all of them with Psychic Shrieks.

Theoretically, with a lot of armies playing psyker ICs/HQs, Deathleaper can help to nerf them, especially when the target is within the vicinity of the SITW power.

To me, this is especially useful against Eldar & SW.

To me, Swarmy is more than ok in a sense that he's worth the pt cost in almost every sense. mainly due to the buffs that he can potentially give to himself & friendly Nids. 4 spells that can be swapped are really great, the chances to get Iron Arm/Endurance/Enfeeble will increase tremendously.

@Dann: U've used Mawlock b4. Don't u think that in 6th ed, especially with the clarification stated in the FAQ, 3 Mawlocks appearing in Turn 2 on 2+ courtesy of Tyrant's/Swarmy's power can inflict quite a huge casualties when they arrive together?

@Jake: Can Carnie take & fire 2 t/l devourers + bioplasma?

That's one of the reason to use Deathleaper, the other reason is to annoy people, since the new FAQ, if he gets a cover from something, it's guaranteed to be 2+, etc. you can spawn him near a venomthrope or behind a unit, he becomes invincible. Also sometimes it's possible to contest objectives very far away too.

Bio-plasma is not a weapon, it's a shooting attack that it vomits from its mouth. People disregard because it's not found in the army list or it's rarely used because of the BS and range. You'll hit yourself or miss most of the time.

I only used the Mawloc cuz it looks cool. You want competitive, dun take a Mawloc

It's basically like this: imagine you got an unlimited range S6 AP2 pie plate. But it scatters its full distance (unless you have a Lictor), and you can only use the pie plate max 3 times per game - assuming it doesn't die to gunfire or mishap.

Din, you want a unit buffer? Swarmlord? For a cheaper price you can buy 4 Zoanthropes in 2 units. You can swap 8 powers, cast up to 4 powers, have eight wounds and a 3+ inv save.

For Elites, my preference would be Doomy, Deathleaper (Farseers/Psykers at -d3 Ld value throughout the game ftw!!) , & 3 HGs.

For unit buffer, instead of Zoanies, i'd rather take Swarmy & Tervies cuz they can double-up in offense, MCs, have a wide range of spells options, & immune to most insta-gibb shooties (being T6).

Broodlords are also interesting since they can swap for 2 psy-powers. I even might just retain their natural psy-power to reduce enemy units' Ld by -1 (which can be stacked) & combo with Doomy's Spirit Leech non-psychic power ..

Question: Can a Tervie contribute Termagants to an existing Termagant unit?

For Doom to combo with Broodlords, you either deploy with it or hope on Turn 2 onwards you drop from the Mycetic Spore and land where it will be most effective, and it's not necessarily near your infiltrating genestealers, unless you're outflanking them for some odd reason.

The units you wrote are great and all but I don't see it fitting in a 1500 or 1750 points list, do you mind showing one here? If you're running Tervigons and the Swarmlord, you won't fit a lot of genestealers, let alone a lot of broodlords. The Carnifexes, Deathleaper and Doom are also major point sinks.
There's such a thing as too much of a good thing, you know.

On that last question you can find it in the codex, I might even think you haven't read it properly before you started to ask questions about it.